“Grape Press” is a regular magazine column in which we recommend wines to suit various occasions and price points.

Chinese New Year is one of those festivals in which wine is now a gift of choice. Ice wine has in recent years become increasingly popular, and not only for gifting purposes.

But what is ice wine? It’s a dessert wine made from grapes which, in the Northern Hemisphere, are harvested as late as December or even January. Only healthy berries are picked in conditions around -10°C. After the fruit is pressed in the winery, the frozen water is removed, leaving only a thick, concentrated nectar for fermentation. In fact, the sweetness of ice wine affects the alcohol content. Most yeasts die when the alcohol reaches a level of 5-10 percent ABV – there’s just too much sugar for the poor yeast to survive! So if you see an ice wine listed as 15 percent ABV, it can’t be the real deal.

Controversy abounds in Beijing. A section of the city wants to become English-only, an exciting wine win is dampened by certain one-sided parameters, China has a strong showing at a plagiarism exhibit and pollution remains a heated health topic.

“Last Orders” is a regular magazine column in which we ask noteworthy Beijingers to imagine their final meal before leaving the city for good. This month’s host: Ignace Lecleir, general manager at Temple Restaurant Beijing (TRB).

The venue

Preferably, the feast would begin at 11am in the morning, if not at dawn, and last all the way until midnight. I’d want to have the focus on the Chinese cuisine I’ve grown to love over the years. The menu will contain a selection of Chinese and Western dishes that would awaken my taste memory. I’d like to have my entire team, some friends and family to join me. The venue of my choice will be Temple Restaurant Beijing, where I’m currently working.

November's shaping up to be a great month for wine lovers, with a variety of events to look forward to. We've put together what ought to be a handy at-a-glance guide to what's going on in the coming weeks.

“Grape Press” is a regular magazine column in which we recommend wines to suit various occasions and price points.

Our Bars & Clubs Editor has already got our hedonistic whims covered for the weekend, but what about our do-good side?

Luckily, it has never been easier to give back. First up on the agenda is Gift of Hope’s Chinese painting class taking place tomorrow afternoon. All of the social enterprise’s monthly “Open Day” events are centered on traditional forms of folk art that are slowly disappearing – a way, founder Meixin Lee told me, “to preserve cultural tradition, along with generating awareness about our cause.”

Beijing always seems a little more interesting when there's trouble afoot. This week's scandals have us a little more bemused than outraged. There's also some geeky gaming news that would probably scandalize me ... if I understood gaming.  

The most basic rule – never to be broken – for a serious party: Do not run out of booze! But with the very wide range of wines out there, the kind of wine you choose and how it is served make a real difference.

Sparkling wines are a fun starting point, but the high acidity of Champagne can turn stomachs. Make sure you serve ample food that is easy to eat while holding a glass of wine – this can counter the effects of acidity. Or, choose sparkling wines like Prosecco, Cava or Asti that are lower in acid.

For white wines, it’s best to go for something crowd-pleasing. Oaked Chardonnay or Viognier can be attractive. Also, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, although higher in acid, can be a popular option.

You may have noticed that certain restaurants around town have their own branded wine – Flamme, Café de la Poste and Alio Olio are three such examples where the house vino is identifiably of the house. If you’ve seen this, you’ve probably thought “What do I need to do to get my face on a bottle?” If so, there’s good news and better news: One, you’re vain, and two, here’s how to feed your vanity.

It’s usually a bit of a cop-out to begin a restaurant review by commenting on its name, but Bar Code? Bafflingly, it’s not a “Chinglish” blooper. A flashy logo of wine bottles lined up supermarket scanner-style shows that the folks in charge meant the joke, tragically.

Taking over where Spanish restaurant Mosaico left off, the new management has put much of the emphasis on wine, shifting the culinary focus to reflect their Basque roots.